


You're Not a God

by theregoesmyfearow



Series: You're Not a God [1]
Category: Pocket Monsters: Ruby & Sapphire & Emerald | Pokemon Ruby Sapphire Emerald Versions
Genre: Gen, M/M, mid-Emerald setting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-29
Updated: 2014-09-12
Packaged: 2018-01-17 11:30:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 11,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1386034
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theregoesmyfearow/pseuds/theregoesmyfearow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kyogre and Groudon are fighting. It's the apocalypse. Two men are stuck on a sandbar, watching this horror unfold. Calls from grunts depict the horrors all over Hoenn, but often missing the big picture. What will happen? Is this the end of the world? And what does it mean for the rivals stuck together with only themselves to blame for the entire disaster?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is darker than canon. Mid-Emerald, may extend to post-Emerald depending on how far chapters go. Chapters will follow one character, then the other. A different format may appear later, but that is kind of spoilery so I'm not telling you how that will work just yet.  
> But anyway, Archie and Maxie are stuck helplessly watching while Groudon and Kyogre fight and floods and fires rage through Hoenn. Instead of everything just getting hot or rainy, there is serious destruction.  
> There's also some flashbacks here, they end up very important.

            The rain was overwhelming. The torrential downpour was too much. Two rivals stood in the middle of it, staring forward at the forces of nature that were controlling the weather. There was a strange sunbeam shining upwards in the middle. There was no doubt it was causing another drought yet again.

            A call came over the communicator.

 

            “Hey boss! The storm hit Mauville just after a drought and blew some transformers! Everyone’s outta there, so we’re lootin’. We’ll bring back some goodies for ya!”

 

            There was no time to consider loot at the moment. Did they not realize what was going on? Did they not understand? Those grunts. Reckless and young. Though weren’t grunts always that way?

 

            _A young man was lying in a shrub in Lilycove. He’d tried to climb up a tree onto a house to get a vantage point for spying, but he’d lost his footing. He fell and snagged his hoodie on a tree, tearing it. Luckily, though, the snag slowed his fall. His ankle hurt pretty badly, though. He didn’t know how he was going to get up, but the pain was terrible. The young man closed his eyes to try and block it out, but soon a strong arm helped him up. He lifted his sore ankle and allowed the stranger to help him to a nearby house. An old woman noticed the problem immediately. But before the young man could offer thanks, the stranger was gone with a flash of blue._

            The rain was still falling heavily. No words really needed to be said- both rivals were staring silently. There was so much regret to be felt at that moment, at least by the redheaded one. He was pretty sure his bandanna-clad opposite was even horrified by this much rain despite being excited earlier.

            It wasn’t even a matter of his red hair being soggy or that it was starting to get chilly to be drenched. There was no “well, I’ll be sick later” to be thought of anymore. There was, in its place, a looming sense of “there’s not going to be a later”. Everything was probably going to end, and it was halfway his fault.

 

            “Hey boss! Found a house in Mauville with weird stuff! You lived in Mauville, right? Did you ever have a sister? There’s a picture of a girl in a frilly dress that kinda looks like you. She don’t look happy. Wait a minute, there’s something on the back. ‘Maxine, age 7’-“

           

            The communicator was crackly, but it was clear enough for the drenched and now furious Magma Boss to start hoping the Aqua Boss hadn’t heard it. Maxie quickly silenced the darn thing. It was imperative that the conversation be stopped at that point.

 

            _The young man -Maxie, he was called- had to wait at the old lady’s house until some of his teammates could come get him. Thankfully, though, the old lady had stitched up his ripped uniform hoodie. That avoided some awkward conversations. When they finally got him back to the Magma hideout, it turned out the team was more than equipped to care for injuries. But unfortunately, Maxie had to stay off his ankle for a while. Instead of going on missions, he had to type up all sorts of records and documents on a typewriter. It got very dull, but it was necessary. Eventually, though, the sprain healed and missions were possible again. However, Maxie didn’t try to climb up on top of anything anymore unless he knew for certain that he wasn’t going to fall. Things were getting better though, but every once in a while he’d wonder what became of that old rival of his…_

The legendary pokemon continued to battle. For the moment, there wasn’t any immediate danger from huge waves or flying rocks. Maxie stood on the sandbar watching. Every passing moment seemed to drive the sobering point home- it was the end. Soon, the ocean would rise and mountains would spring up from the seafloor. There was no telling if the sandbar would sink or shoot up into the sky. The entire world was definitely ending. There was no way around that. Unless- unless that kid was actually able to stop Groudon and Kyogre from fighting. But that would be impossible, right? There was no way a kid would be able to stop them, even if that kid did impede on every single plan. Maybe that was for the better, though. If the plans had been completely foiled… the world wouldn’t be ending.

            But for the moment, it was tempting to wish it’d end quickly.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyogre and Groudon are fighting. It's the apocalypse. Two men are stuck on a sandbar, watching this horror unfold. Calls from grunts depict the horrors all over Hoenn, but often missing the big picture. What will happen? Is this the end of the world? And what does it mean for the rivals stuck together with only themselves to blame for the entire disaster? [[Chapter 2 parallels chapter 1]]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Even chapters parallel for now. So this time, it follows Archie.

            Drat that rain. Beautiful, glorious rain, but somehow it had turned monstrous. Condemning. The rain was condemning him for his mistakes. There were beams of sun shooting out of a massive, ground-creating being. But the sunbeams were lies, weren’t they? As the beams of light tried to expand and multiply, clouds pushed their way towards them. The clouds over the ocean-expanding being grew darker. The waves raged harsher near both beasts.

            Archie stood next to Maxie on a sandbar. Normally it’d be amusing that Maxie’s grunts seemed to be pissing him off, but such a moment in time the urge to laugh at him was gone. Those darn Magma grunts were looting, or something. It clearly wasn’t the time for that, and at least Maxie agreed.

            But Archie was focused on something else. That Kyogre… why had it gone off on its own? Sure it had too much power for one man to control, but why had it simply gone off just to fight with Groudon? Couldn’t it have just made more ocean?

            There was a cost to everything, though. Archie couldn’t help but think for a moment that if Maxie hadn’t gone after Groudon, then Kyogre would have been free to cause the oceans to rise. But of course, that wasn’t true. The rain itself was a problem in and of itself. The obviousness of this concept was overwhelming.

 

            _It was a bright, sunny day. Too bright, and too sunny. It was supposed to be a simple mission- scout out the area around Slateport for a possible place for the next mission to camp. Busy work, really. It was boring and almost pointless. However, one young man started to be followed by a police officer. But before he could get in trouble, a grunt from the opposite team started talking to the officer. For some reason, this strange Magma grunt claimed to know him and somehow managed to convince the officer that everything was a harmless game designed to look for pokemon. The officer left, but before the young man could identify the grunt with a uniform that looked a little bit too big, the grunt had disappeared._

The silence was again broken by yet another call. It was too crackly to make out much of the words, but Maxie seemed extra bothered about it. Those darn Magma grunts had probably found something pointless. Archie glanced over at Maxie to assess what kind of loot the grunts found, but looked away quickly when he realized Maxie was actually rather upset about it. Maybe some grunts had gotten hurt or something. Magma grunts were probably accident-prone.

            The waves near the sandbar started to get a little higher. It really was the end of the world, wasn’t it? And with a kid being their only hope… hope was pretty much lost. Sure, the kid could hinder plans, but that kid couldn’t stop the orbs. There was no way some kid would be able to stop the legendary pokemon. And with the waves starting to rise, it was just the catastrophe driving its point home.

            Archie looked over at Maxie again. It would be too simple to shove that land-loving weirdo into the ocean. It’d look like an accident. After all, that redhead was to blame too, wasn’t he? They’d both end up in the ocean anyway, so why not? But that was it. Why not? Archie just stood there. He didn’t really want to shove Maxie into the ocean. He really didn’t. Not only would it be pointless, but there was just something that told him not to.

           

            _The young man was Archie, a Team Aqua grunt. He’d been more careful on missions since then, but it was hard to shake the curiosity as to why a Team Magma grunt had helped him out of a tight situation. Was it linked to something else? Nah, couldn’t have been. Archie hadn’t been able to see that grunt’s face, and besides, that one had a uniform that was too big. There was no way he’d have known that grunt from anywhere else. Still, it was a nice gesture. In the meantime, Archie was earning favor in Team Aqua. Successful missions and repeated excellence brought up rumors that he’d be an admin one day._

The sea still raged near where Kyogre was fighting Groudon. It was somewhat the opposite of what was previously happening. Water fought against land. Before that, Archie had been working to stop Maxie so he could increase the oceans uninhibited. But that kid had gotten in the way… and now the legendary creators were having a battle of legendary proportions. Rocks were flying, and thankfully that was farther away. But something told Archie that the waves and rocks would probably start flying or rushing towards him within the hour. And the main difference was that while a kid was trying to stop him and Maxie, there was nothing to stop Kyogre and Groudon. Or was there? Clearly a kid couldn’t battle legendary pokemon like that.

            Still, though, it was indeed quite tempting to give up and sink beneath the waves.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The waves are eroding the sandbar. Time is running out. It's time to prepare for the worst, even if that means shocking the only other person nearby out of their wits.

            A bleak situation was slowly growing bleaker. Maxie wasn’t quite sure how that worked, but that was the quickest way to describe it. The sky was nearly pitch black where there were clouds, and where there was a break there was intense sunlight. But that was far off in the distance. His communicator was still turned off, but as much as he wanted to just talk to someone, he didn’t want to hear about the horrors wracking the rest of Hoenn.

            It wasn’t as if Maxie was alone, though. There was still Archie standing there. But talk to that goon? It’d have to be pretty horrible of a situation for that to happen. Though wasn’t the end of the world horrible enough? It was worth a shot, just to distract temporarily from the boulders that were flying ever closer to the sandbar.

           

            “Archie.”

            “The hell do you want?”

            “I was thinking, you know, we’re really not all that different, are we?”

            “Now why would you dare compare yourself to me?”

            “Well, while we had opposing goals, we had similar methods to going about them.”

            “I don’t ever want to hear that again. Team Aqua would have done this properly.”

 

            The attempt went over pitifully. Maxie considered it further, though. Was he really all that different from Archie? Not really. They both wanted total cooperation to the point of the entire world going along with their plans. Even nature itself was supposed to bend to their wills. As much as Maxie actually did hate to admit it, if he substituted the idea of ocean into all of his plans instead of land, he basically had Archie’s plans instead. Though of course, some ideas weren’t easily converted, they’d both tried to steal things, and they’d both taken ancient treasures for themselves. Most people would consider that to be wrong.

            Maxie could see the edge of the sandbar. It was starting to wash away. Soon there’d be nothing to stand on. There were even rocks and boulders landing closer. One particularly large one left a splash that he was surprised he could feel. That was going to be it, wasn’t it?

 

            “We’re going to get swallowed up by the sea.”

            “No, we’re not. Stop talking out of your ass.”

            “We are, though. It’s inevitable.”

 

            But the redhead could tell his rival wasn’t listening. Still, he had to admit that Archie’s stubbornness would have come in handy. If it wasn’t for the fact that Archie wanted ocean more than land, he’d have made a good admin- maybe even a good second in command. The relative silence broke again.

 

            “Maxie, I know you’re not gonna believe me, but I should tell you something.”

            “What, that I’m ugly and going to die alone?”

            “No. I, uh, I once helped a Magma grunt.”

            “Oh? Really?”

            “Yeah. Way back when I was still a grunt myself, this kid had fallen off of something. So I helped him up, you know. His uniform ripped, and I felt bad for him. It looked like he had a back brace or something. I didn’t get too good of a look at his face, and I don’t think he got a good look at mine. But I did, I helped him out and got him to some granny who could help. He looked injured or something, but I didn’t stick around.”

            “Wait. What?”

            “I knew you wouldn’t believe it, but whatever.”

            “No, I- I believe you, Archie. I really do.”

 

            Maxie stared ahead. There was no way it could be true, but how would Archie have known? The only detail was that he didn’t have a back brace, it- it wasn’t really important, was it? Team Magma had gotten him through everything since then. Someone had seen a secret, though. It was almost like the grunts finding that picture…

 

            “Archie, I feel you should know I helped a Team Aqua grunt once.”

            “Are you trying to one-up me?”

            “No! I saw one once and got the police off his ass. No big deal. You still win.”

            “No you didn’t, you couldn’t have. That wasn’t you. No way.”

 

            The regret started to sink in. Maxie wondered if he really should have blurted that out. Archie seemed really upset, and in that situation it wasn’t going to be good. Maxie knew Archie was physically stronger than him, and fear started to permeate his mind. It was quickly chased away, though, by the realization that if Archie tried anything, it’d only be helping to speed up what the ocean was going to do anyway.

 

            “So uh, you’re going to punch me now?”

            “Maxie, I- no. I just can’t believe you were the one who got me out of trouble.”

            “Pff, that wasn’t really you, was it? I- I can’t believe that. That’d be coincidence.”

            “Oh, I’ll say. I didn’t realize it was you.”

            “No, uh, Archie? It’s more coincidence, because that grunt you helped-“

            “You’re lying through your ass.”

            “I’m not! I thought you were lying, but how would you know?”

            “You jackass.”

            “No, I swear. It wasn’t a back brace either, it- you know what, don’t mind that. Just. Believe what you want, Archie. It doesn’t matter anymore anyway. It’s going to be the end of the world, and the end of us. When it’s time, I’ve decided not to fight it.”

 

            That was the end of that. It was all squared away, wasn’t it? There wasn’t much left. The sand on the sandbar was washing away, and there was no way to stop that. There wasn’t going to be somewhere to stand anymore. Sure, there were small islands, but those were basically just rocks jutting out of the ocean. Maxie didn’t really know how to swim anyway, and that would be the only way to those rocks. Not that boulders sticking out of the water would be any safer than a sandbar anyway. There seemed to be a small island with somewhat of a beach a short distance away, but that was an unrealistic goal. When the sandbar was going to fall apart, Maxie was prepared to go down with it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The waves are eroding the sandbar. Time is running out. It's time to prepare for the worst, even if that means shocking the only other person nearby out of their wits. [[Chapter 4 parallels Chapter 3]]

            Archie stared at Kyogre. How had he been so horribly wrong? How did that go so wrong? It was unbelievable. It should have been so simple to control Kyogre… but then again, how in the hell would it possibly be simple? Even Archie had his limits, and Kyogre did not. Kyogre had absolutely no limits, and it was going to push as far as it possibly could. So would Groudon.

            But then again, there was nothing like facing fate next to a complete nerd to remind one that everything had gone so horribly wrong. It was pretty quiet, at least. Or well, it was if you ignored the roar of the ocean and the kerplunk sounds of boulders being chucked into the water. Then there was the constant roaring of the two legendaries. If the whole mess wasn’t worth it thanks to the catastrophic apocalypse, it certainly wasn’t worth it for how irritating it was. And then Maxie just had to speak.

 

            “Archie.”

            “The hell do you want?”

            “I was thinking, you know, we’re really not all that different, are we?”

            “Now why would you dare compare yourself to me?”

            “Well, while we had opposing goals, we had similar methods to going about them.”

            “I don’t ever want to hear that again. Team Aqua would have done this properly.”

 

            Archie began to rethink that immediately. Of course he still would have screwed up if it was just Team Aqua. It was pointless to insist that he would have done things properly, because there was no possible way to do it properly.

            It wasn’t right to mess with nature like that. It was a complete and utter disaster, and the amount of regret was overwhelming. Archie didn’t mean to cause the end of the world. He just wanted to help. Granted, society would normally say that helping in that way would be wrong and illegal, but it was still helping. Though stealing stuff probably gets you on everyone’s bad side. But they don’t lock you up for ending the world- mostly because there’s no place to put arrested people once the entire world is wiped out. And then of course, that redheaded nerd just had to open his mouth again.

 

            “We’re going to get swallowed up by the sea.”

            “No, we’re not. Stop talking out of your ass.”

            “We are, though. It’s inevitable.”

 

            Archie sighed. It was inevitable, but why discuss it? Why call attention to that fact? It was redundant. Of course they were going to end up drowned. With the waves growing more violent all the time, there was no way anyone would survive the apocalypse out in the middle of the ocean. Of course it was inevitable, but that didn’t mean Archie wanted to discuss that.

            Instead, it was time to be distracted by something else. Archie sorted through his memories. Surely there was something to make him seem less terrible. He had to have done something at one point to even partially cancel out something he’d done as the leader of Team Aqua, even if it just forgave something small. Even if it was just that he’d been rude to someone, there had to be something good that canceled out something wrong. Archie thought of something eventually, and even though it didn’t justify anything, he felt it was important enough to mention.

           

            “Maxie, I know you’re not gonna believe me, but I should tell you something.”

            “What, that I’m ugly and going to die alone?”

            “No. I, uh, I once helped a Magma grunt.”

            “Oh? Really?”

            “Yeah. Way back when I was still a grunt myself, this kid had fallen off of something. So I helped him up, you know. His uniform ripped, and I felt bad for him. It looked like he had a back brace or something. I didn’t get too good of a look at his face, and I don’t think he got a good look at mine. But I did, I helped him out and got him to some granny who could help. He looked injured or something, but I didn’t stick around.”

            “Wait. What?”

            “I knew you wouldn’t believe it, but whatever.”

            “No, I- I believe you, Archie. I really do.”

 

            There was no way Maxie believed it, was there? Archie frowned. It was pointless. Everything was pointless. He’d left his mark, all right, but there would be nobody to remember him. What a huge amount of good that did him indeed. He wasn’t in control of anything at all, and there was no accomplishment to be had.

            There was a little bit of quiet. It really didn’t help Archie to be left with his own thoughts. A few moments passed, though it started to feel as if time was slowing down. He was almost thankful that the silence was again broken.

 

            “Archie, I feel you should know I helped a Team Aqua grunt once.”

            “Are you trying to one-up me?”

            “No! I saw one once and got the police off his ass. No big deal. You still win.”

            “No you didn’t, you couldn’t have. That wasn’t you. No way.”

 

            Archie stared at Kyogre and Groudon. They were both huge beings. Yet they were so different, weren’t they? One created land and the other created sea. But they were equally powerful, and that was the downfall. They were equally matched, and they’d just get more and more powerful until the entire world would be consumed. Archie looked back at Maxie. They were equally matched too, weren’t they? And they’d used Groudon and Kyogre as proxies to fight. They were exactly the same. So maybe it was possible Maxie had been the grunt that’d helped him. It was about to not matter anymore anyway.

 

            “So uh, you’re going to punch me now?”

            “Maxie, I- no. I just can’t believe you were the one who got me out of trouble.”

            “Pff, that wasn’t really you, was it? I- I can’t believe that. That’d be coincidence.”

            “Oh, I’ll say. I didn’t realize it was you.”

            “No, uh, Archie? It’s more coincidence, because that grunt you helped-“

            “You’re lying through your ass.”

            “I’m not! I thought you were lying, but how would you know?”

            “You jackass.”

            “No, I swear. It wasn’t a back brace either, it- you know what, don’t mind that. Just. Believe what you want, Archie. It doesn’t matter anymore anyway. It’s going to be the end of the world, and the end of us. When it’s time, I’ve decided not to fight it.”

 

            Archie turned back to stare ahead again. Perhaps Maxie had been that poor grunt. Perhaps Maxie was right about how nothing mattered- no, Archie knew that was correct. There was no stopping what was going to take place, and maybe it was time to accept responsibility for his actions.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Immediate danger sets in. Will the two enemies survive? Or will they meet the fate they've accepted?

            The water was starting to rise. Archie looked down and saw that the sand near his feet was starting to shift. He lifted one foot and set it back down, only to frown at the disgusting squish of suction that he could feel pulling at his shoe. That’s when he realized the sandbar was starting to disintegrate. That became an immediate cause for concern. Archie watched the sand for a few seconds before looking up. A splash of a boulder nearby startled him. The boulders were flying too close. Danger was upon him.

            Fortunately for Archie, though, the sand under his feet was still holding up despite being squishy at the surface. Unfortunately though, the whole sandbar was starting to crumble anyway. A large rock flew right past Archie, causing him to jump back a little. He nearly lost his footing. It was getting increasingly difficult to hide his fear.

            The waves were getting higher very quickly. One moment they’d just barely washed over Archie’s shoes, the next they were coming up to his ankles. Soon, he had to brace himself for every wave. Somehow it’d occurred to him to see how Maxie was holding up. Maxie was lanky and not quite as physically strong as Archie. The Magma Boss seemed to be trying to figure out the best way to stand up against the waves trying to wash his feet out from under him. Archie frowned. He’d expected he’d be the one to go first, not Maxie. He thought his love of the ocean was going to bring him down before anyone else.

            Another boulder flew into the ocean thanks to Groudon. It came far too close for safety. The resulting wave washed onto the sandbar and eroded it further. A bunch of small rocks came flying soon after. Archie covered his face, but each projectile still stung despite the fact that his leather jacket absorbed some of the force. Another few rocks flew and splashed just in front of Maxie’s feet. That was the last bit of waves that the sandbar needed to crumble- or at least about three quarters of it.

            Archie jumped back just in time to save himself from sliding into the water. He watched in shock as Maxie fell. Archie stood there, frozen. He waited a few split seconds to see if Maxie would swim back, but the Aqua Boss suddenly remembered what Maxie had said. Maxie was going to give up if something happened.

            Logic, practicality, and realistic thoughts were tossed aside. Archie launched himself into the ocean where Maxie had fallen beneath the surface. He didn’t know why, but he had to do something.

            After a couple of seconds, Archie was able to grab hold of Maxie and pull him to the water’s surface. He knew it was going to be nearly impossible to see if Maxie was okay while trying to tread water. Luckily there was a small island nearby that looked rather stable. Archie pulled Maxie to the island and laid him down on the sand.

            Things didn’t look good. Maxie’s eyes were shut and Archie couldn’t tell if he was breathing or not. This made Archie very concerned. He wasn’t quite thrilled about having to put proper lifeguard training to use, but there really wasn’t any time to think about that. Archie had taken pride in passing his training with flying colors; there was no doubt as to what would have to be done.

            However, it only took a couple of chest compressions for Maxie to start coughing and gasp for air. Archie wasn’t sure if he was more relieved that Maxie would be okay or that he didn’t seem to have to use any rescue breaths. But all that aside, somehow it was satisfying for Archie to know that the only person he could see around was at least going to survive in that moment.

            After a couple of quiet moments, suddenly Archie noticed that the waves crashing at the small island weren’t as violent. Something was unsettling about that. He noticed that Maxie was trying to point at something in the sky. Looking up, there was a strange green glow.

 

            “Archie. Is it-?”

            “Hey, just rest. But yeah, I think it is.”

            “Is it over?”

            “Maybe. Maybe not.”

           

            It was a little worrying that Maxie could only barely speak above a whisper, but Archie knew it was better than how things could have ended up. He watched the green glow move towards Kyogre and Groudon. After a couple of seconds, it was clear that this green thing was indeed Rayquaza. Rayquaza was supposed to be able to stop the two warring pokemon. Archie only looked away when he noticed Maxie was trying to sit up and lean against a large stone. He sighed and smiled a little. Hopefully the break in the danger would continue to bring good signs.

 

            “You could have left me, Archie.”

            “You think it was a piece of cake dragging your lanky ass here? I could throw you back.”

            “N-no, I mean, why would you save me? You hate me.”

            “You just wanted to help the whole time, didn’t you?”

            “Yes, but-“

            “You were right. We’re really not all that different. We’re almost the same.”

            “Thank you, Archie. Thank you s-so much.”

 

            Archie stared as the clouds started to part. This time, though, intense light didn’t pour through the break in the clouds. Instead, blue sky appeared. The clouds continued to disperse, and the sea calmed down. No more rocks were thrown by Groudon. Kyogre no longer blasted water.

            But it was bittersweet. With the end of the world averted, Archie could see that everyone else involved had disappeared. They’d left, and now he and Maxie were stranded. They’d probably have to cooperate to get off of the island, but with Maxie exhausted Archie knew he’d probably have to do most of the work. He was somewhat surprised that he didn’t mind. Had he started to care about that asshole?

            Yes. Archie was pretty sure he did at least somewhat care about Maxie. But why? Maxie was terrible and sarcastic. The Team Magma leader enjoyed causing problems for everyday citizens. Maxie was a complete asshole. But then, so was Archie. He was also terrible and sarcastic. Hell, he was probably more sarcastic than Maxie. Archie knew he was also a complete asshole, and somehow he kind of liked how Maxie was the same way.

 

            “Hey, so uh, Maxie?”

            “Hmm.”

            “You know, the more I think about it, the more I’m glad you’re alright.”

            “My chest hurts and I feel very sick. I think I swallowed a bunch of seawater.”

            “Okay, but well, I guess I just admire your leadership or something.”

            “Because we do things similarly? That’s kind of narcissistic, don’t you think?”

            “Well, if I was going to love anyone other than myself, they’d have to be almost me.”

            “Wait. What?”

            “I uh- I didn’t mean it- you know. You know what I mean!”

            “Yeah. Yeah, like- not like that. I agree.”

 

            Archie turned away, embarrassed. He didn’t mean it like that. He didn’t mean that if he was going to fall in love, it’d be someone just like him, that’d imply he had a thing for Maxie. And that was absolutely preposterous.

 

            “But you’re really glad I’m alright?”

            “Yes, Maxie. I mean, it wouldn’t be fair if only one of us paid the ultimate price.”

            “Oh. Sure, yes, I understand.”

            “You wouldn’t have saved me though, right?”

            “I can’t swim, Archie. I guess I’d be rather upset, though.”

 

            So that was that. Archie looked back at Maxie for a moment. There was something about Maxie’s small smile that made him want to smile too. But once he realized that, Archie looked away again. He had to figure out a way to get off the tiny island in the middle of the ocean. Sootopolis was nearby, though. If he could figure out a way to get there, he’d be able to get to safety. But he would have to bring Maxie along. It’d be terrible to leave that nerd behind. Archie stared more intensely. He was starting to confuse himself- was he really that concerned?

            Perhaps maybe it took calamity and peril to change minds. Maybe there was more for Archie to face than just the consequences of his actions.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maxie gets a horrifying surprise followed by a rather confusing one.

            The rain kept falling. It was pouring so hard it was getting difficult to see the distance. Boulders kept flying closer, but rock-hard resolve had Maxie standing still and waiting. But the waves were starting to get higher. The currents were starting to wash up over the sandbar, making the sand squishy. It was getting increasingly difficult for Maxie to keep his footing. That was the consequence though, wasn’t it? Being drenched and waiting for the end of the world to arrive. That’s what happened if someone messed with forces beyond their control.

            Maxie watched a large rock fly past Archie. Archie jumped, causing a small splash. Maxie didn’t know whether he didn’t care or if he was jealous that the rock hadn’t come for him instead. It probably would have spared him the wait.

            There always was the idea that the unforgiving ocean could just toss up a wave. That could probably be for the better. As much as Maxie didn’t like oceans, he found himself depending on it. But then, a boulder was chucked toward the sandbar. Groudon was still raging as it had for a while. The boulder didn’t hit the sandbar directly, but it created a huge splash. Maxie watched for a split second as sand started to wash away with the waves. The boulder must have hit some sand just in front that had started sliding away. The sand beneath his feet sunk away, dropping him into the ocean.

            As the waves started fighting over him, Maxie decided that moment was the time to give up. It was done. He had paid for his mistakes.

            It was hard to tell if everything was gone yet, but somehow the instinct to not breathe in water remained. Maxie thought he could feel something jerk him around, but then the world stopped. Everything stopped.

            The next moment was a hard whack to the chest. Maxie assumed he’d slammed against a rock. The sudden smack forced him to breathe in. It was a couple of seconds before he realized he hadn’t filled his lungs with water and instead he wasn’t finally drowning. The lack of being dragged under by currents was confusing, but rain still poured down. Caught between trying to cough up the falling rain and the seawater he’d managed to swallow, Maxie opened his eyes to see Archie sitting next to him.

            It wasn’t difficult to work out what had happened, but it was incredibly difficult to believe it. Maxie grasped at the sand. It wasn’t the sandbar; that was for sure. That had crumbled, hadn’t it? And waves weren’t washing up on this sand. A look to the side showed that there were larger rocks jutting out from this new sand. An island? Were they on an island? But he couldn’t have been washed up. That wasn’t possible. But then, why would Archie pull him out of the water?

            Maxie looked up to the sky. There was something glowing green, glowing bright enough to shine through the clouds and torrential downpour. He pointed up toward it and waited for Archie to look as well.

 

            “Archie. Is it-?”

            “Hey, just rest. But yeah, I think it is.”

            “Is it over?”

            “Maybe. Maybe not.”

 

            It was difficult to speak above a whisper. Maxie frowned. His throat stung from the seawater and the bunch he’d swallowed. It made him feel rather ill on top of that, but at least he had survived, right? However, Maxie was still having trouble deciding whether or not that was actually a positive outcome.

            After a moment, though, it was obvious that the glow coming from the sky was definitely Rayquaza. Rayquaza was rumored to have the power to stop Groudon and Kyogre from fighting. Maxie pushed himself up and leaned against a large stone. It became easier to watch the green glow. The rain seemed to be less dense and the glow seemed to intensify.

            But Maxie still didn’t understand why Archie had pulled him out of the ocean.

 

            “You could have left me, Archie.”

            “You think it was a piece of cake dragging your lanky ass here? I could throw you back.”

            “N-no, I mean, why would you save me? You hate me.”

            “You just wanted to help the whole time, didn’t you?”

            “Yes, but-“

            “You were right. We’re really not all that different. We’re almost the same.”

            “Thank you, Archie. Thank you s-so much.”

 

            As the clouds started to give way to blue sky, Maxie decided that being alive was probably a good thing. After all, what good would it have been to give up when now the storm was over? Kyogre and Groudon had ceased to fight. Looking over at Archie, Maxie noticed that the Aqua Boss seemed rather concerned. It was puzzling. What reason would Archie have to be concerned if the battle had ended? Then Maxie realized- they were stuck. They had no way off of the island. It would be difficult to swim to Sootopolis- and Maxie couldn’t even swim at all.

            Still, though, what would Archie do? Leave? Maxie guessed so. Then again, hadn’t that pirate wannabe saved him? Perhaps he’d be kind enough to help Maxie off the island. But what would be the motivation? Maxie knew he was probably useless at that point. Weakened by the water, clearly the enemy anyway, Maxie was probably not going to be any sort of help for Archie. Besides, Archie was a jerk. He was sarcastic and mean. Just plain awful, he was willing to terrorize every day citizens just for a laugh. But Maxie did that as well. Maxie knew he enjoyed being sarcastic. Something about Archie was eerily similar.

 

            “Hey, so uh, Maxie?”

            “Hmm.”

            “You know, the more I think about it, the more I’m glad you’re alright.”

            “My chest hurts and I feel very sick. I think I swallowed a bunch of seawater.”

            “Okay, but well, I guess I just admire your leadership or something.”

            “Because we do things similarly? That’s kind of narcissistic, don’t you think?”

            “Well, if I was going to love anyone other than myself, they’d have to be almost me.”

            “Wait. What?”

            “I uh- I didn’t mean it- you know. You know what I mean!”

            “Yeah. Yeah, like- not like that. I agree.”

 

            Maxie stared ahead. He was thankful that Archie looked away, because he was fairly certain he was starting to turn red. Clearly Archie didn’t mean he’d fall for him. Not ever. Not even if a volcano suddenly froze over. Maxie couldn't help but smirk, though. It did sound like Archie had a crush on him or something. It would be rather amusing, actually. It would be a good reason to tease that asshole.

            But then, all of a sudden, Archie looked back at Maxie. Maxie just stared with that smirk. Archie turned away again, but Maxie could have sworn that Archie was starting to blush. The hell did that mean? He didn’t- no. Nope, that wouldn't happen. But what if? Maxie wasn't sure why, but somehow he would be okay with it. It was impossible, though, right? He was only thankful, that was it.

            In the calm after the storm, though, there was still more to face. Maybe getting off the island wouldn't be the only problem for the two men stuck there.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The two find a way to get somewhere safer... but find more than dry land when they get there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \--Chapters should merge from here on instead of switching back and forth.--

            As the sky cleared, it became obvious that the sun would set in a few hours. Archie and Maxie were trying to figure out a plan. They needed to get off of the island, as it wasn’t going to be able to keep them safe for too long. It would get cold at night, and there was no food there. They’d have to at least get to Sootopolis, if not further.

            But there really was no way off the island. There were no supplies to make rafts. With Archie tired out from pulling Maxie to the small beach and Maxie still weakened from almost drowning, there wasn’t much that could be done.

           

            “I could try to swim again.”

            “Archie, I couldn’t make- oh shit. Archie, you’re bleeding.”

            “What? No- oh. I guess I am.”

 

            Maxie moved closer to Archie to get a better look at the wound. It didn’t seem too bad, but blood would likely attract Sharpedo. There would definitely be no going in the water. However, it was somewhat important that the wound get patched up. It was difficult to tell how Archie had gotten a cut just below his ribs, but Maxie suggested that it was when they got to the small shore.

 

            “Archie, give me your bandana.”

            “No! I like my bandana.”

            “But I can use it to try and stop the bleeding.”

            “It’ll get full of blood.”

            “But we need to stop it. Okay? Please.”

            “Ugh, fine. But only because it kind of does hurt.”

 

            Archie let Maxie take the bandanna and use it to apply pressure to the cut. Archie growled a bit, but didn’t say anything. Maxie could tell that it hurt, but there wasn’t much else to do.

            Then the idea hit. Maxie thought about the idea for a moment, and decided it was probably going to work.

 

            “Hey, we both have Crobat. They could at least carry us to Sootopolis.”

            “Hmm. Maybe. We’d at least be somewhere vaguely dry and safe.”

            “It’d be worth it. They could probably carry us that far. I can see the mountain rising out of the ocean, we’d at least be able to get to it.”

 

            So the two called out their Crobat and barely made it to Sootopolis. It was a bit of a rough landing, but everything seemed to be okay. Archie stretched out his arms and flopped onto his back. He didn’t realize at first that his hand had landed on Maxie’s. Maxie froze and bit his lip. Luckily they were close enough to the Pokemon Center to take care of their Pokemon and get each other patched up.

            But for the time being, it was a good idea to just rest. Soon, though, Archie noticed where his hand had flopped to.

 

            “Gah! I didn’t mean- I don’t- no!”

            “Ohh! I didn’t notice, oh shit. Archie, I don’t-“

            “Oh come on, I can see your face. You want to hold my hand, don’t you!”

            “No! You want to hold mine!”

            “If you’re gonna be that way then I’m gonna hold your hand!”

            “Not if I hold yours first!”

 

            The two simultaneously grabbed each other’s hands and gripped tightly. After a few seconds Maxie’s hand started to hurt. He tried to let go, and Archie loosened his grip. But Archie held on.

 

            “You like me, you asshole.”

            “No, you like me, you piece of shit.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the chaos of the outside world deescalates, some things instead escalate.

            After a while, it was getting to be time to get cleaned up and fully dried off. Archie and Maxie went to the Pokemon Center and tried to act as unsuspicious as possible, which they were able to pull off due to genuine concern about their Pokemon. They weren’t sure if there was a current warrant for their arrests out or not, but it was safe to say they were wanted men. Theft would probably be the first reason, though nearly destroying the world would be a problem in and of itself. They had to get the orbs back to Mount Pyre, but how? For the time being, just being alive was more important.

            A short rest in the Pokemon Center offered some time for Maxie to patch up Archie’s cut properly. Archie winced a few times, but Maxie assured him that strength didn’t mean being numb to everything.

            The two had been rather civil to each other. Perhaps that had convinced the people who had taken refuge in the Pokemon Center that they were clearly not the warring bosses responsible for the storm. Or perhaps the citizens were scared. Either way, there was the hope that two goons being nice to one another would be convincing enough.

 

            “Archie, I think it’s best if I keep an eye on you for a while.”

            “What?”

            “Well, you know, so you don’t accidentally bust that cut open or something.”

            “Right, right. Hmm! I have to keep an eye on you, too.”

            “What for? I’m fine.”

            “Maxie, you almost drowned. The proper procedure is to watch someone who almost drowns for at least forty-eight hours in case of complications.”

            “Archie, I’m fine.”

            “No, no, what if there’s still water in your lungs? I don’t want you to die.”

            “Oh.”

            “I mean, uh, I put effort into saving you, and I don’t want that to be for nothing.”

            “You’re not sounding any less genuinely concerned for my life.”

 

            Archie stood up and walked out of the Pokemon Center before going back inside to drag Maxie out. He stared at Maxie for a while until Maxie stared back with a somewhat worried expression.

            Maxie looked down at his wrist, which was stuck in Archie’s grasp. He tried to squirm away and was surprised when Archie let go easily. Everything was getting rather strange. What was going on?

 

            “Maxie, I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing, but you should probably give it up.”

            “I don’t understand.”

            “Oh, come on. That look of sad resignation in your eyes, that pitiful gaze.”

            “Why have you been looking at my eyes, then? That’s your choice.”

            “What? N-no! I- no!”

            “And come on, Archie, don’t think I don’t notice how you look at me.”

            “Uh. No?”

            “You used to look at me with pure hatred. But now you assess me, as if you’re not sure.”

            “You’re watching me too.”

            “Hmm. So I am.”

 

            At that point there really wasn’t much left to deny. They could deny all they want, but they’d just end up digging deeper holes for themselves. Any more attempts to poke fun at the other would just reveal too much. Archie and Maxie had run out of reasons to insult each other and instead ended up finding positives.

            It was horrifying for the both of them. Neither of them had ever had to face their emotions before. They were going to have to start.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New challenges arise and interesting solutions are proposed, with more insight into past small victories.

             _A young man walked into the small office. He was clutching a notice so hard it had crumpled in his grip. The grin on his face was so wide it was probably starting to make his cheeks ache._

_“So you got accepted. Congrats! That means you don’t have to pay a dime out of pocket. A penny though- no, I’m joking. We got it covered. It’s no problem, really. I had my fingers crossed for you, I really did. Things should go pretty smoothly from here.”_

_The receptionist was smiling almost as wide. They really were the nicest person the young man had met so far. And so understanding! He’d been so nervous, but a lot of people in the team were so understanding. They’d approved the funding, and everything was going to go well._

Maxie stood on the grass in Sootopolis and looked up to the sky. There really was no point to Team Magma anymore. He could find one, but did he really want to continue making plans like this? The ultimate plan had proved to be the ultimate mistake.

            But there was more to the group than just expanding the land, wasn’t there? Even if that’s what they claimed. Well, maybe he’d have to keep in touch. One of them would want to keep literally in touch, but that just wasn’t going to be possible if Maxie was going to at least retire.

 

            “I’m going, then, Archie. Maybe we’ll cross paths again, but probably not.”

            “I suppose I should go as well.”

            “Sounds good.”

 

            Maxie called out his Crobat and had it take off. Out the corner of his eye, he could see Archie following his lead. They went in a similar path for a while, but Maxie could see that Archie had business in Lilycove. There was a rock with a hole, and it seemed to be a base. Perhaps going separate ways was going to be for the better.

            After landing, Maxie headed out to Mt. Chimney. He instructed the grunts to clear out everything. All of the equipment had to be removed from the mountain. The next task was to tell Tabitha and Courtney that either they were in charge or they could disperse the team. Maxie was pleased when the two agreed that there really was no point in meeting up anymore, but it was bittersweet. He could see that the young admins looked less than thrilled about the decision. Perhaps there was more to it than just following orders. After all, wasn’t a huge part of leading Team Magma to look out for the others? Well, they were going to have to look after themselves from then on. And the mountain would be returned to its natural state.

            Then, to get rid of that blasted orb. Maxie wanted no part of that horrid thing any longer. After spending the night in Lavaridge, the former boss started for Mt. Pyre. When he got to the top, he started rehearsing in his mind all sorts of apologies and how to ask forgiveness from the old couple who had been watching over the orbs. Diplomacy was important, but would being visibly upset possibly be a big help as well? There was no being sure.

            But of course, who else could suddenly appear except Archie? Archie came running up to Maxie. The two held up the orbs and prepared to return them. They were surprised when they didn’t have to say anything. The old couple smiled and took the orbs back. Things would perhaps be forgotten if it weren’t for that kid from earlier running up. The two former bosses dismissed themselves and explained that they didn’t want the orbs anymore and that they’d learned valuable lessons before walking down from the summit.

            Once they had gotten back to the fog, however, they stopped to make sure the kid wasn’t following them. Hero or not, that child didn’t need to know any further plans.

 

            “I guess we did end up crossing paths, huh, Maxie?”

            “So we did. Hmm, so what did you have to do in Lilycove?”

            “I broke up Team Aqua. I mean, I’ll still keep contact with Shelley and Matt, but I didn’t see any further reason to continue. They’re to empty the base and flood it to make a habitat for sea pokemon.”

            “Oh. That is reasonable.”

            “You did something similar, I can tell.”

            “What? I mean, I did, but what do you mean that you can tell?”

            “You look sad. I mean, uh, that’s not fair that I’m not the reason.”

           

            Maxie walked on ahead. Maybe Archie would understand- scratch that, he probably understood completely. In fact, he seemed a bit upset to leave his team as well. But enough had been said. Maxie wasn’t about to discuss the matter at hand with Archie of all people. Maybe he’d call one of the admins later and offer to pay for coffee somewhere, but even that would be a bit awkward. Footsteps behind him grew louder. Maxie turned around.

           

            “They were your friends, weren’t they?”

            “Yes, Archie. I guess you could say my colleagues were like friends.”

            “Not like friends. Were friends. And you had to let them go.”

            “Are you trying to rub it in? Because you’re doing a great job of that.”

            “No. But I had to let my friends go. And well, there are always new friends.”

            “What are you getting at?”

            “Maxie, we’ve been less hostile lately, you can’t deny that. You tease me, but I think you’re getting used to me. The more time we spend stuck with each other, the less we spend fighting like feral pokemon.”

            “You see it, then. But what of it? You’re willing to put differences aside for good?”

            “Only if you are. Though I thought we established back in Sootopolis that we liked each other. If I can admit that I was wrong about the sea, I can admit that I really do respect you.”

 

            Maxie stood there speechless. Clearly Archie had spent time thinking about recent events. He watched as Archie frowned and started walking on ahead. There really wasn’t anything stopping Maxie from taking the offer of a truce. Or was it an offer of friendship? After all, hadn’t the opposition lied solely in getting in each other’s way? There was nothing to thwart anymore. The only thing standing in the way now was his own stubbornness.

 

            “Archie, wait!”

            “Oh, so now what?”

            “You’re right. There’s absolutely no reason for us to be cold anymore. After what we’ve been through, we might as well stick together. Besides, as I recall, it was you who had a thing for me.”

            “Mmm, not a chance, Maxie. You have a thing for me. You don’t mind me turning up.”

            “Fine. If I can admit I was wrong about the land, and you can admit that you respect me, I can admit that I don’t find you to be such a bad sight to see.”

            “You better not be calling me handsome, Maxie.”

            “What of it if I am? I can admit that. It doesn’t mean anything.”

            “Oh, well, I’d prefer if it did mean something, because you’re not half bad.”

            “Well, maybe I’ll kick you in the shin for that. Maybe not. We’ll see.”

 

           

            Maxie walked a little closer to Archie. The two headed back down the mountain walking side by side. They were going to have to figure out what they were going to do, and it was going to take some thought. But at least they’d be able to plan together, and maybe they wouldn’t have to be so lonely.

            Archie grabbed Maxie’s hand and grinned. Maxie didn’t resist. After all, there really wasn’t anything to be nervous about, was there? Surprisingly enough, Archie was so understanding. Things were going to be okay.

 

            “You know, we’re kind of like Kyogre and Groudon.”

            “Archie? What? No.”

            “Yeah. We have our passions, and sometimes they conflict, but in the end they can be balanced.”

            “But you’re not a god.”

            “Neither are you, but I like you all the same.”

            “I knew you liked me. But I like you, too.”

 

            There was a choice to make at the bottom of Mt. Pyre. Where to go? The two decided they’d find somewhere to do honest work for once, but they’d go together and they’d have to agree on it before any decision was made. After a couple of days of camping near towns, they decided that they would stay in a quiet little place just outside of Mauville. They’d be close enough to water if Archie wanted to sail or fish or swim. They could see Mt. Chimney from the distance, and at least there was enough solid ground for Maxie.

            The question was, what to do from there? Their teams were everything for them.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just because you settle down for a while as roommates doesn't mean trouble won't come looking for you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, the flashback is important. This will be expanded on, but there have been heavy implications from the beginning. If you didn't catch that, try looking for those implications in other chapters.

            _“Young lady-“_

_“Excuse me? I’m a twenty-year-old man!”_

_“But your hair is so long! Boys don’t-”_

_“Shut up! Shut up before I cause even more trouble around here, okay?”_

_“Say, do you have relatives around here? You look like someone I used to-“_

_“Don’t say that!”_

 

            A former team leader woke around dawn to the sound of Wingull squawking. Oh how he hated those things. He crawled out of bed and looked around.

            There was one bedroom in the small cottage, and Maxie had won the argument over who got to take it. Though it wasn’t so much victory as demonstrating how it wouldn’t work well for him to sleep on the sofa. It was Archie who discovered that the sofa actually unfolded into a bed. But by then Maxie had set up in the bedroom. He suspected that Archie had just given up the fight over the bedroom.

            Archie was still asleep, snoring away. It was time to get up, though. The Aquas may have had a slacker routine, but Team Magma had a schedule to keep. Though Maxie had to admit he didn’t make his grunts get up right at the crack of dawn. It was more or less an hour later. Still, he always got up with the sun. After a cup of coffee, the redhead went back to trade baggy pajamas for a red dress shirt and khaki pants. The old leader uniform would only be asking for trouble. But even with that, he still slicked his hair back the same old way.

            They hadn’t run into anyone important yet. Sometimes Maxie thought he saw Tabitha or Courtney around, but every time he looked back, it was just his mind playing tricks on him. Nothing had really been said yet, either. Nothing really admitted past “I like you”.

            But sometimes former grunts from both teams would stop by. They’d see either Maxie or Archie around and knock on the door. The visits never lasted more than about a minute, as the former bosses would chase the kids away. It was for their own good, wasn’t it? They’d have to find structure elsewhere.

            Soon, Archie woke up. Maxie informed him that there was still coffee left in the pot and that he was going for a walk. Walks through Mauville were usually nice.

 

            _A grunt was walking back from a mission with an admin. The admin was grinning._

_“Hey! You did really well this run! Especially since it’s your first day back from being on in-house assignment! I didn’t expect you to fight that hard, it’s good that you’re feeling better. Hell, you keep it up, and you’ll probably be an admin soon!”_

_The grunt smiled. He hadn’t done missions in about a month or so, and it really was great to be back to being out fighting and stealing._

_“Good job, Maxie, it’s great to have you around.”_

            The sky was clear, and turning bright blue as the sun rose higher. Maxie walked further, but then he saw someone he definitely recognized. Damn it, Wallace.

            Of course the Champion would patrol Hoenn from time to time. But Wallace would recognize him. Wallace would be angry. And of course, Maxie knew that the water-enthusiast artist had seen him.

 

            “Maxie! You had better not be up to anything!”

            “What? Oh, no. Me? Never.”

            “Oh really? You haven’t seen Archie, have you? I heard rumors you two were hanging around here.”

            “About that-“

 

            As if on cue, Archie walked over to him, shouting.

 

            “Maxie! Wait up! I thought I’d join you on your walk. Oh, hello, Wallace.”

 

            Wallace just glared. Maxie was very irritated that Archie just had to show up right at that moment. He just had to ruin any chance of convincing Wallace to leave quietly. Instead, Wallace looked like he was about to explode.

            Then came the rant they’d been expecting would happen if either Wallace or Steven showed up.

 

            “You two just can’t call it quits, can you? Thinking up a new plan to completely destroy Hoenn? Look around you, Mauville is still rebuilding. Have you seen what happened to Pacifidlog? Have you seen anywhere that was hit by Groudon and Kyogre’s wrath? The wrath that you two caused?”

 

            Archie and Maxie stared at each other, then stared at Wallace. There was no way he’d believe them that they’d dissolved their teams and had given up on trying to mold the world the way they wanted it to be. But somehow, it was as if the rage was beginning to subside. Wallace seemed like he was waiting for Archie and Maxie to start arguing with each other or with him. It was Archie who tried to find the words to explain.

 

            “No, Wallace, we put the orbs back. Haven’t you been back there? It’s done.”

            “Are you just lying to me so I’ll leave you to wreck everything again?”

            “Of course not. I have no more desire to expand the ocean, and if I have no plans, then there’s nobody to foil them, is there?”

            “You’re not fighting with Maxie here?”

            “What? No! I mean, uh, he gets on my nerves a lot, but I tease him right back.”

            “Oh. Wait what?”

 

            That had done it. Wallace seemed thoroughly confused. Maxie watched him carefully and nodded in confirmation of Archie’s story. It didn’t seem to really convince Wallace all that much. Maxie interjected.

 

            “I can assure you, Wallace, that the only thing I’m planning is something that would be a bit embarrassing to discuss with you. But I can definitely say with confidence that it’s not going to be destroying anything or causing any sort of a problem for you. In fact, it’s not any of your business anyway.”

 

            Archie stared questioningly at Maxie. Maxie just winked. It was quite amusing to watch Archie turn bright red. Wallace must have realized what was going on, because he turned red as well.

            Wallace nodded, expressed that as long as the two weren’t making trouble it would be fine, and got away quickly. Archie smirked at Maxie. Maxie just looked back with a confused look on his face.

 

            “What were you planning, Maxie?”

            “I- oh! N-nothing major, I just, well, you know.”

            “No, I don’t. I have ideas, but I want your words.”

            “Oh, just this, really.”

 

            Maxie kissed Archie’s cheek and smiled before walking away. That was it. That was the plan, or at least it sort of was. There was a kiss involved; that much was for sure. It was supposed to be on the lips, but that would be a little daring right then, wouldn’t it?

            But on the way back to the cottage, Maxie was stopped. Archie had followed him. Archie pulled Maxie into a kiss, lips to lips. Both of them blushed.

 

            “There you go, you’ve accomplished something.”

            “But Archie, that just sets another plan in motion.”

            “Oh? What now?”

            “I suppose I could divulge, considering we have somewhat of an alliance now, but I do plan on being committed to you if you’d commit to me.”

            “I, uh, yeah! I’ll go out with you, Maxie.”

 

            The two went back to the cottage and argued for a while over the best place to train a Crobat, but soon agreed to disagree and made up over mugs of the rest of the coffee.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything wraps up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you guessed what's going to happen, A+. If not, that's fine too. But yeah, that is definitely what's going to happen.

            Things hadn’t been going as wonderfully as a former leader had hoped things would progress. The other would ask why he was sleeping on the sofa instead of the bed, and the answer would always lead back to snoring. Archie did snore. Maxie insisted the snoring was too loud and that it was audible from the other side of the little cottage. He did, however, know that the last bit of his argument was utter bullshit. Maxie had taken the bedroom when they’d first sought a hiding place together and forced Archie to sleep on the sofa. Back then, the snoring wasn’t a problem. Maxie didn’t even hear it. He knew Archie knew the same thing.

            The problem was something else entirely. Two men who could gather followers with relative ease knew in and out the kinds of words needed for almost any occasion. The times when they couldn’t find words were when they had to accept something they’d never thought they’d have to accept.

            It had taken them a lot of effort to admit they were wrong, and even though they’d actually agreed to go out with each other, they hadn’t actually admitted that they really cared for each other. Dating had come to mean sharing a bed for a week before Maxie had gone from curling up in all of the blankets and leaving Archie with none to flat out refusing to sleep in the bedroom anymore.

            It wasn’t really anyone’s fault, was it? The former Magma leader stared at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. He’d let his hair grow longer than he normally would. Everything had changed so suddenly, and even a change that had started to bring relief was starting to lose its significance.

 

            _A newly-promoted admin looked at the reflected version of himself in the full-length mirror. His hood was pushed back, revealing bright red hair. His smile was the widest it had been in such a long time. The reflection of someone who was moving up through Team Magma, the reflection of someone who was getting so close to achieving his goals… the reflection of the man he always knew he was. Perhaps one day he’d be the leader. And then he’d do great things._

 

            What did it all mean? There had never really been much affection between Maxie and Archie, but it seemed as if deciding to go out with each other had brought it completely to an end. An alliance would be one thing, but what was the point of living with someone so irritating if there wasn’t sarcasm in play?

            That was the solution, then. Archie could have the cottage. There was always Lavaridge waiting. Maxie knew it was partly his fault for not speaking up, but then wasn’t that more of a reason to go? Obviously Archie deserved better.

            The harsh thoughts had stayed away for quite some time. It was a shame they had to return. Maxie sighed. Perhaps he wasn’t what Archie really wanted. Maybe everything was a ploy to clear that asshole’s name and get away. It didn’t seem like that was the truth, but then again, who really knew? Maybe Archie was actually worse than previously thought. And back in the mirror, a face that had started to show age and stress stared right back.

 

            ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

            Archie got up and got out of bed. He had heard a crash and some yelling. Clearly something bad had happened. The former Aqua leader threw on some lounge pants and headed for the source of the crash. He nearly ran into Maxie in the bathroom doorway. Maxie scowled and pushed past Archie to run towards the kitchen. Archie looked into the bathroom and saw the broken pieces of mirror on the floor. Maybe it just fell? Archie knew that wasn’t likely.

            The rugged man went to the closet for supplies to clean up the mess. He was picking up the pieces of glass with leather gloves and putting them in a cardboard box when he noticed something. A few of the pieces had drops of blood on them.

 

            “Maxie? Are you alright?”

 

            Archie’s shouts had no answer. He finished cleaning up the bathroom before heading into the kitchen. Maxie was standing in front of the sink and holding his hand under running water. It was obvious the mirror had hurt him.

 

            “Maxie, did it get you? Do you want me to help?”

 

            Maxie looked up at Archie and shook his head. There wasn’t really anything that could be done if Maxie didn’t want help. Archie decided that he’d at least be there for the redhead, even if he didn’t seem to be wanted. Instead, the sea-enthusiast went and got some bandages from the bathroom. Before he took them to the kitchen table, though, Archie looked at the empty frame of the mirror. It hadn’t fallen, it had been on purpose. That was concerning, but it did explain how Maxie had cut his hand on the glass.

            Once the bandages were on the kitchen table, Archie sat down on one of the chairs. He watched Maxie tend to his injured hand, but when he realized Maxie was crying, he couldn’t just watch anymore. Archie got up and gently placed a hand on Maxie’s shoulder.

 

            “What do you want?”

            “I want to help, Maxie. Come on, that mirror didn’t fall, it’s busted out of the frame.”

            “Archie.”

            “I’ve stuck by you for a while now, and I’m not giving up that easily.”

            “Are you sure, Archie? Are you sure you’re not doing this so you can feel like a good person?”

            “What? What are you even talking about?”

 

            Archie stepped back. This wasn’t going to be a good situation. Things hadn’t really been going well for the past couple of weeks. The former Aqua leader’s bit of optimism he’d had for the situation had faded. It was starting to sound like Maxie wanted to leave him. While it would be wrong to force someone to stay, he really didn’t want the person he’d come to trust to go.

 

            ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

            Maxie turned off the faucet and inspected his hand. It really was a bad idea to punch the mirror. But what else was there to do? The awful thoughts had become too much, and seeing his own weary face was too much. The gash was pretty nasty, but it was cleaned up and the bleeding was starting to subside. It was going to need to be bandaged up. Maxie turned around to go fetch some, but he stopped when he saw Archie sitting at the table and the bandages already there.

 

            “You didn’t have to.”

            “But I did have to.”

            “No, you really didn’t. You don’t even want me here.”

 

            The words had escaped. Maxie was starting to regret them- Archie wasn’t supposed to know of his suspicions. The hurt expression seemed rather genuine. But surely, he really didn’t care, did he?

            Maxie thought it over while bandaging up his hand. Wasn’t it Archie who’d pulled him out of the ocean instead of letting him drown? Why would he do that? Archie had said it was because they were equals. Because it wouldn’t be fair if only one of them paid the ultimate price for nearly causing the end of the world.

            But remembering the almost end of the world didn’t really help. It just reminded Maxie that he had somehow been wrong. He looked at Archie sadly. Maybe there was more to be wrong about. Maybe Archie really did care, despite that asshole’s previous insisting that he didn’t. Besides, every denial came with a tiny waver in his voice. Archie couldn’t hide things forever.

 

            “No, Maxie, I do want you around.”

            “You deserve better.”

            “Better? Really, better? No. I deserve nothing. I deserve to be dead right now, what with the storm and the destruction. But I’ve grown fond of seeing you every day even if you’ve been acting strange lately.”

            “Even if- even if there’s no way that I’m the man you’re looking for?”

            “Maxie, I’m not looking for anyone else.”

            “But Archie, what if I’m not what you’re expecting?”

 

            Maxie watched as Archie stood up and walked towards him. Archie stopped and stared, motioning for Maxie to go on with the concept.

 

            “I mean, you seem to trust me now, and I haven’t told you everything, and that’s really awful of me. You deserve someone who doesn’t lie by omission, and someone who doesn’t hide themselves away.”

            “Maxie, is it anything you’ve done that would hurt me?”

            “No? I don’t think so.”

            “Okay. It’s fine then. Don’t worry. When you’re ready to tell me, then I’m here to listen.”

            “Archie, I didn’t used to look like this. It was long ago, but I didn’t used to look like this. I’ve always been myself, but I- I don’t know how to explain this simply.”

            “It’s fine. It’s all fine.”

            “Archie. The reason I was so upset about having to break up Team Magma is that they really helped me. They were family to me. When I was younger, I took charge of my life and I decided to let who I was inside show, despite my very feminine appearance. Team Magma funded everything, and I- I couldn’t be more thankful. When you helped me after I hurt my ankle, you said you thought I was wearing a back brace? That was a binder, Archie. I should have said something sooner.”

 

            The look on Archie’s face was somewhere between surprise and pain. The ensuing hug was not what Maxie expected. But it was definitely needed. Normally the former Magma leader would have shoved Archie away and insisted that he didn’t like to be touched, but there was something about the way Archie hugged him that was reassuring and needed.

            Neither of them said anything after that, but Maxie was pretty sure that Archie understood completely. It was a few days before anything was mentioned again.

 

 

            “I’m glad you’re the same old asshole, Maxie. I love that.”

            “You love that I haven’t changed, or you love me?”

            “Both.”

            “I feel the same way about you and how you’re such a jackass.”


End file.
